February 25, 2024

Blacks

Guardian - Salena Pryor, the president of Black Small Business Association of California, believes that Black community spaces were especially affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, as shutdowns led to many spaces being unable to keep up with the commercial rent. “When [businesses] were able to get qualified for the PPP [Paycheck Protection Program] and EIDL [Economic Injury Disaster Loan], they were so far gone with the rent that … it was almost impossible for them to catch up,” said Pryor. During the pandemic, small businesses owned by people of color suffered more closures than businesses owned by white people. According to a 2021 study conducted by researcher Robert Fairlie and published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, 2020 saw a 41% decrease in active Black small-business owners. A Yelp economic report found that Los Angeles suffered the most permanent business closures in the United States in 2020.

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